The split series protects Dartmouth's 2.5-game lead over Yale in the Red Rolfe Division race.
"We feel pretty good about this weekend, we played a hell of a weekend, and we're just happy with the split," Jim Wren '10 said after Sunday's games.
With just four games remaining in the Ivy season, Yale (18-21-1, 9-6 Ivy) will have to win at least two more games than Dartmouth (20-13, 12-4 Ivy) to have a shot at the division title. The outcome of the race could be determined by the result of a suspended game against Penn -- the Bulldogs were tied with the Quakers 9-9 when the game was called due to darkness.
To earn the weekend split Dartmouth closed a two-run deficit in game one on Saturday, knotting the score at three in the sixth inning. Both teams were held scoreless in the seventh, taking the game into extra innings.
Dartmouth starter Russell Young '08 then gave up a two-run home run to Yale freshman Andrew Moore, handing the win to the Bulldogs. This was Young's third team-leading loss of the season, though he has the lowest ERA of any Big Green starter at 3.38 runs per game.
The Big Green responded, however, in a nine-inning contest that afternoon. Dartmouth exploded for 13 runs, six of which came in the fourth inning. Michael Pagliarulo '09 drove in four runs, and seven other Big Green players had at least one RBI.
Jake Pruner '11 earned the win, giving up five earned runs while walking two and striking out six in the 13-6 victory.
The first game on Sunday was another hotly contested affair. Wren drove in the tying run in the sixth inning, erasing a four-run Dartmouth deficit and pushing the game into extra innings.
Both teams were scoreless until the10th inning. Closer Ryan Smith '11 gave up two unearned runs in the 10th, but Dartmouth responded with three doubles in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game. Wren again drove in the tying run to keep the game alive.
"It seemed like everyone got a hit when we needed it today," Wren said.
Smith, however, surrendered a home run to Yale senior P.J. Gorynski in the next inning, and Dartmouth went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, giving Yale the 8-7 victory. It was Smith's second loss of the season in the closer role.
In the final game of the series Chase Carpenter '08 was able to hold Yale at two runs. Carpenter walked one batter and struck out another, giving up only one earned run in his first complete game of the year.
Carpenter credited his success on the mound to Dartmouth's four double plays.
"For me to be successful, I need a lot of ground balls and just allow the infield to do the work for me," he said.
Carpenter threw 62 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He now leads the team with five wins.
"I'm just so happy for [Carpenter], and so proud of him for the way he performed," head coach Bob Whalen said after the game. "Any team that I've ever had that ended up playing for something, your seniors have to come through. Frankly, he's been a good strike thrower and a great kid and a good competitor but hasn't won a ton of games, and this year he's just been money."
Offensively, Wren had another successful game with three hits, including a bloop double over the first baseman's head. Johnathon Santopadre '09 drove in two runs with a single in the second inning that kicked off Dartmouth's three-run second inning.
The Big Green will be back in action at home on Tuesday in a non-conference game against the University of Vermont.
